Rose
by rightxhere
Summary: On the eve of Christmas, a heavily pregnant Belle is kept company by her houseguests, Jefferson and Grace, as she waits on the hopeful return of her beloved, Rumplestiltskin.


**Title:** Rose  
**Recipient:** smithy-smith (on Tumblr)  
**Author:** Demelza  
**Disclaimer:** Once Upon A Time and its characters belong to ABC, I'm just borrowing them for a bit.  
**Pairing:** Rumplestiltskin/Belle  
**Word Count:** 5,116  
**Warnings:** None  
**Prompt:** (Christmas) Baby please come home  
**Summary:** On the eve of Christmas, a heavily pregnant Belle is kept company by her houseguests, Jefferson and Grace, as she waits on the hopeful return of her beloved, Rumplestiltskin.

\/

It was the eve of Christmas, and a heavily pregnant Belle kept herself busy in the kitchen to keep her mind off the absence of Rumplestiltskin; he had been gone for several weeks now, following leads that might finally lead him to his son once and for all. He had arranged for her to have some houseguests to keep her company while he was gone; Jefferson and his young daughter, Grace.

The pair had headed out to get some fresh bread some hours ago, and while Belle had at first read books by the fireplace in the main hall that Jefferson had bought down from the library for her, soon a craving for vegetable soup kicked in and she decided to make some for dinner.

Belle was emptying a bowl of freshly sliced vegetables into the large pot simmering over the fireplace, when she felt a strong kick in her belly.

Bringing her hand to her belly, Belle stepped back and smiled warmly. The baby kicked again, and she chuckled heartily. "Good afternoon, sleepyhead," she quietly murmured.

From the corridor, there were footsteps on the cobblestone floor, urgent and excited alike which brought a smile to Belle's lips.

"Aunt Belle! Aunt Belle!"

Belle turned in time to see young Grace come racing through the open doorway.

"Grace, sweetheart," she beamed, "How was the market with your father?"

"Oh, it was simply beautiful, Aunt Belle!" Grace exclaimed, coming to a halt in front of her. "We went to Agrabah, and Papa bought all this wonderful bread and we got to try all kinds of scrumptious food!"

"Agrabah? " Belle's eyes widened and she chuckled, "I'm sad I missed that journey."

"Maybe when the baby is here, you and she can come with us? It would be so amazing, Aunt Belle. You'd really love it there!"

"I'm sure I would, and maybe we will," she promised.

Grace smiled happily, and Belle soon got a sense that something else was on her mind.

"Aunt Belle do you... do you think I could feel the baby kick? I mean, if she's awake?"

"_Grace,_" a stern but loving voice warned from the corridor. Jefferson stepped into the room carrying a basket of fresh assorted bread, and a bundle of something that he carried on his left shoulder. "Remember I told you, Uncle Rumple asked us to take care of Aunt Belle, and that meant you weren't to harass her."

"Sorry," Grace replied, hanging her head.

"You're fine," Belle said, meeting Jefferson's concerned gaze. "She is, honestly."

"Hmm," was all he replied with as he stepped into the room, then set the basket of bread atop the table and the bundle alongside it.

Belle took hold of Grace's hand and placed it at the front of her belly where the strongest kicks had been. The babe inside kicked and kicked, and Grace laughed delightedly. "I really think she likes me!"

"I've a feeling the two of you are going to be very good friends," Belle said, gently cupping the young girl's chin. She glanced across at Jefferson then, who was finally smiling. After a moment, Belle nodded toward the bundle on the table. "What's this?"

Jefferson arched an eyebrow, "Just a few special things..." he glanced at Grace, then back to Belle, "One for a certain someone..."

"Me, he means me," Grace replied, and Jefferson proceeded to pout dramatically. "It's okay, Papa. I'll still pretend to be surprised when I open it in the morning."

Jefferson rubbed the back of his neck. "Mm-hmmm. Anyway, aren't you supposed to be doing your reading up in the library?"

"But Papa," Grace protested, "I get scared reading up there by myself."

Belle felt her heart ache in sympathy. "I'll read with you, if you'd like?"

Grace's face lit up, "Could she, Papa? Please?"

Belle glanced towards Jefferson.

"Only if it's not too much trouble," he said with a smile. "_And _as long as you choose the book yourself, and let Belle rest. Rumplestiltskin would kill your Papa if anything were to happen to her."

"Oh I will, this will be so great!" Grace exclaimed excitedly, "Come on, Aunt Belle."

"You go choose a book, and I'll be there after I have a quiet word with your Papa, okay?"

Grace nodded, "Okay."

As Grace left the room, Belle turned to Jefferson. "Agrabah, hmm?"

Jefferson leaned against the table, "Well, aside from the best tasting bread in all the realms, Rumplestiltskin asked me to collect something he'd had a spinner craft especially for the baby."

Belle stared at Jefferson, hopeful that it meant he'd been in contact with her beloved. "He-He did?"

"Mmm, the night he came to ask Grace and I to come stay with you."

And with those few words, her heart sunk. "Oh. Well, thank you."

"Sure."

The two stood there quietly for a moment, when Belle took a breath and said, "Oh, I put some soup on for dinner, could you add a few herbs and spices?"

"As you command, my lady. Vegetable soup, is it?"

"Good nose."

"It's one of my special skills," Jefferson joked, and Belle couldn't help the small laugh that escaped. "Look, you head on upstairs carefully and I'll get the rest of dinner sorted. When it's ready we'll eat in the library."

"That sounds like a wonderful idea," Belle replied, "Thank you."

She was headed toward the door, when Jefferson called after her,

"Belle?"

She stopped, and looked over her shoulder at him. "Mmm?"

"He'll be home soon. I'm sure of it."

She nodded her agreement, but as she turned around and began walking again, she felt her heart sink even further. _I hope you're right, Jefferson._

\/

Belle found her way upstairs to the library soon after. The climb was as hard on her back and legs as it had been every day these past two weeks, but she'd made a promise to read with Grace and vowed to keep it.

When she finally reached the top of the stairwell, she found Grace standing in front of the bookshelves still, slowly moving along the books as she tried to find something to read.

"I have a suggestion," Belle offered as she came into the room, feeling winded from the climb.

Grace turned to Belle with a slight fright, then smiled. "What book is that, Aunt Belle?"

"It's that blue book, on the far end of the shelf you were looking at."

The girl moved along the shelf and picked out the blue covered book, then turned to bring it back to Belle. The two made their way over to the day bed, where Grace helped Belle get the cushions in just the right place so she could be seated comfortably with her feet up.

They settled under a gold throw rug and read for a long while. Belle's body grew increasingly achy and uncomfortable as they read, like the menstruation cramps she had grown accustomed to through the years, but she merely shifted as best she could on the day bed and continued to read with the young girl without complaint.

They were halfway through the book - an adventure novel about a young woman who found her way to a magical world with the help of an elf - when worsening cramp made Belle's breath catch. She took a few long, slow breaths the way she'd remembered Jefferson had told her she'd need to do when the time arose. She just didn't think that time was _now._

"Aunt Belle, what is it?" Grace asked with deep concern.

"It's nothing, I'm fine sweetheart," Belle promised, "Why don't you start on the next chapter?"

The young girl nodded and resumed reading.

As Belle listened, her mind began to drift as she tried to do what she could to take her mind off the cramp that kept coming and going.

She thought of the day Rumplestiltskin had gifted the library to her, and how he'd been so dumbstruck when she took hold of his hand in hers. She could still remember the lost and confused expression on his face as she told him she was glad he wasn't the man she'd initially thought he was.

She'd seen him at his worst that day. More important than that, however, she'd also seen him at his best. She also realized that day that she could reach him in a way she thought no person might ever be able to. But she had. _Somehow _she had.

Another cramp began to arise, and this time Belle found herself holding her breath even longer.

"I'm getting Papa," Grace declared, and even as Belle went to protest the young girl took no notice and headed straight for the stairwell.

Belle breathed slowly until the cramp began to ease, and when it did she decided it might be best for her to move about instead of staying seated. She walked to the library's window and gazed outside. The sun had set on the horizon, and she could just barely make out the distant lights of the nearest town on the horizon.

The darkness, she didn't like to admit, was when she missed Rumplestiltskin the most. Through the day she could busy herself with what little chores she could still manage in her condition. She spent time with Grace, teaching her how to sew, and sometimes she would sit in the armchair by the fire in the hall and watch as Jefferson and Grace played any number of their cheerful games together.

But when it was night and she was alone, that's when she missed her beloved. It's when she wished she'd been able to go with him on this latest adventure in search of his son. More than that, it's when she wished Rumplestiltskin and his son would come home to the Dark Castle so they could finally be a family together.

Another cramp began to plague Belle, and this time it was stronger than the two previous. Tears filled her eyes as she braced herself against the window ledge. Crying, she whispered, "Where are you, Rumple?"

There were voices downstairs, and soon there were footsteps on the stairwell.

"Papa, hurry!"

Jefferson was the first to come up the stairwell, followed behind by a panic-stricken Grace.

"I'm fine," Belle was quick to tell the two. She took a single step toward them, when she doubled over from another, painful cramp.

"Whoa, no you're not," Jefferson said, racing to her side. Grace ran to Belle's other side and supported her. "How long have these cramps been going on?" he asked, concerned.

Breathless, Belle admitted, "Off and on the past... two days."

"But worse tonight?"

"Mm-hmmm," she murmured, grimacing through the pain.

"Right. Well, we need to get you downstairs before it's too late and we can't move you."

Belle nodded, and together the three inched closer to the stairwell. "And then what?"

"Then we prepare for the baby's arrival."

Belle stopped them, "But it's not time. She's not due for another three weeks."

Jefferson offered her a look of sympathy. "I'm sorry, my lady, but your daughter's not going to wait that long."

Knowing she couldn't fight this, Belle nodded, and reached for the railing of the stairwell to help keep balance.

The move downstairs was slow going, with frequent stops for Belle as she waited through one contraction after another. Most were enough to catch her breath, and some brought tears to her eyes.

She decided to continue thinking of happy memories as they made their way down the stairwell.

She thought of their first kiss, and how it had nearly broken Rumplestiltskin's curse before he pulled back and used magic to transport himself away from her to another part of the Dark Castle.

When they reached the second staircase, Grace asked, "Aunt Belle, can I ask you something?"

Jefferson was quick to reply, "Now's not really the time for questions, Grace."

"Please," Belle said, "It's okay, it'll take my mind off everything for a spell."

"As our lady wishes," he replied with a warm smile.

They were partway down the staircase now.

"How do you know she's a girl?" Grace asked.

The question brought a sad smile to Belle's lips.

"Well," she began, "It was two months ago, late in autumn. Your Uncle Rumple woke me early one morning with exciting news..."

\/

_Belle awoke to the gentle call of her name from her beloved. When she opened her eyes, Rumplestiltskin was leaning over her with the happiest smile she'd ever seen on his often sad face._

_"I've found him, Belle." The words lit up his eyes. "I found my boy."_

_Belle stared sleepily up at him, and smiled happily, "That's wonderful!"_

_But his joy faded, and sudden sorrow crumpled his momentarily happy face._

_"Rumple, what is it?"_

_He placed his hand on her stomach, and felt their baby's kick from within. A sad smile curved tugged at the corner of his mouth. "I must go to a far away land, Belle. I'll be gone for many weeks... perhaps months, if not years or..." He couldn't finish the sentence, but she knew what he meant._

_Belle's smile remained, however pained, as she placed her hand over his. "But you'll finally find your son."_

_"I may lose you to get to him. You and our daughter."_

_Belle's breath caught then. "A-A daughter? She's a she?"_

_He nodded, his smile widening somewhat. "Rose," he whispers._

_Tears welled in Belle's eyes, the smallest fragments of memories from what felt like a lifetime ago coming to mind. Memories of her mother._

_"And... you? Where are you in this future...?"_

_Rumplestiltskin's gaze fell. Unshed tears appeared in his eyes. "On another path. A path shrouded in clouds that I can't see my way through."_

_Her streaked her cheeks, and Belle caressed his hand, reassuring. "You told me long ago that you didn't always see everything clearly. There's every chance I _will_ see you again."_

_Rumplestiltskin lifted his hand to her cheek, pressed a kiss to her palm. "I pray so, my love." He craned his neck, and gently caught her mouth with his in a tender kiss._

_\/_

Belle was leaning against the railing of the stairs, catching her breath between contractions, when she glanced down at a tearful Grace. She gently cupped the sweet girl's chin, "We will see Uncle Rumple again. I know it in my heart and soul."

"I hope we do," Grace said, solemnly. "He scares me, but I miss him too."

With his hand at Belle's back, Jefferson gently urged, "Come on, we're almost there."

And so she nodded, and they found their way down the stairs, the effort seeming to bring the contractions on quicker than they had already been coming.

Belle tried not to let her fears show; with each contraction came the memory of her mother's passing when Belle was only six years of age. She had died giving birth to Belle's baby brother, who was stillborn.

_Rose, our daughter's name is Rose, _she would remind herself. How could Rumplestiltskin know their daughter's name if they both hadn't survived?

With that reminder in mind, Belle focused on the final stretch of corridor that led to her and Rumplestiltskin's bed chamber.

\/

They reached the great oak door at long last, and Belle felt a wave of relief wash over her when Grace raced ahead and pushed the creaky door open.

Candles that once flickered alight with magic stayed unlit, a strange occurrence that had been going on throughout the Dark Castle for the last week. Jefferson helped Belle over to the bed first, then he grabbed one of the candles and took it o over to the low-burning fireplace to light it.

Soon the room was alight with candle light, and Belle was propped up against a pile of pillows and cushions to support her back.

Jefferson stoked the fire to bring some more warmth to the lukewarm room, then announced, "I'll go fetch the midwife."

"Wait," Belle pleaded, "How? If you go through a portal, isn't it two in, two out? "

"Let's just say there's a witch with midwifery experience who owes Rumplestiltskin a few favours. And I happen to know the spell to summon her."

"Oh. Please hurry then, Jefferson. I don't think the baby will wait that much longer."

"On my way," he said, and as he stepped away from the bed he turned to Grace. He crouched in front of her. "Grace, I need you to stay beside Aunt Belle no matter what. Do you remember what I taught you last week?"

Grace nodded, "Help Aunt Belle slow her breathing and keep calm until help arrives."

"Good girl," Jefferson said, tousling her hair. "I'll be right back."

He left out the bedroom door and Belle leaned against the pile of pillows as another contraction arrived. She closed her eyes and grimaced through the pain, unaware that Grace was at her side until she started humming a lullaby.

_It was two days after their kiss at the spinning wheel before Belle saw Rumplestiltskin again. She was out in the gardens, enjoying the sweet aroma of the burgundy roses when she saw him down by the water fountain._

_Feeling guilty and rejected both, she took her time in finding her way towards him, and when she finally reached the water fountain Rumplestiltskin presented her with a purple rose from behind his back._

_"I... owe you an apology," he said, "And an explanation." Still holding the rose out to her, he lightly shrugged with his right shoulder, "If you'll hear it, that is?"_

_Cautious and her heart aching, she politely accepted the rose, but this time she didn't curtsy and he didn't bow. "I'm listening."_

_Rumplestiltskin thanked her with a gentle nod before beginning. "My curse... it's what cost me my son."_

_"What happened?" she quietly inquired, hopeful that he might open up further to her. "I know you said you lost him, but how?"_

_"He found a way for us to be together, for this..." he motioned to himself, "...curse, to be gone. But he presented me with a magic bean, and I was petrified. When I was very young... my father and I, we found our way through a portal with such a bean. But instead of a happy life together like he promised, my father abandoned me."_

_Belle's breath hitched in her throat. "And you were scared... that your son would abandon you too?"_

_Rumplestiltskin solemnly nodded, "And in the process, I did what my father had done: I abandoned my Baelfire... because my desires were greater than his needs."_

_Swallowing, Belle took a step towards him. "And yet, unlike your father, you've spent your lifetime searching for him."_

_He nodded again. "And that's why I couldn't... I couldn't allow my curse to be broken. I'm sorry, Belle. I truly am."_

_"It's okay, and I... I do understand, Rumplestiltskin," she replied, her tone sympathetic and tender. "I promise I won't... I won't do that again."_

_She felt her heart race when he stepped closer, and she felt her stomach flutter when he lifted his hand to her cheek._

_"Please," Rumplestiltskin murmured, "I'd like it if you did."_

_"But, your curse?" she asked, her breath hitching as he moved his body ever closer to hers._

_"Magic, sweetheart."_

Sweetheart_, he'd called her. Not dearie or another less-than-endearing term, but sweetheart._

_"Magic?"_

_"Mmm," he murmured, hooking her chin with his finger. "Fortification... spell..." he whispered, drawing her lips to his._

_Their kiss was as tender as their first had been, though this time Belle felt an almost magical tingling ripple through her._

_ It made her breath catch, and she hesitantly parted from their kiss, "Was that... your spell?"_

_Rumplestiltskin nodded before lowering his lips to Belle's again, and this time he kissed more deeply._

_\/_

A strong contraction pulled Belle out of her thoughts and this time she screamed.

"Aunt Belle!" Grace panicked, and Belle, breathless, lay back against the pillows.

Something was wrong. Something was terribly wrong, she knew it was.

"I'm fine," she told Grace though, not wanting to scare the girl more than she already had. She reached for her hand and squeezed it reassuringly. "It's just a contraction." But she was sure it was much more than that; she was sure the same ailment that had claimed the life of her mother and brother was doomed to repeat and take her and Rose too.

"What do I do, Aunt Belle?" Grace tearfully asked.

"Tell me... tell me about your tea party," Belle said, squeezing her hand again. "The one we were going to have tomorrow morning for breakfast."

"It's just a silly tea party," the girl wept.

Belle could feel another contraction coming on, and did the breathing exercises she'd read about. "No. No it's not. " She took another few breaths. "Your imagination? Is the greatest thing you have, Grace." The contraction grew stronger, and she grimaced, "Never let anyone ever tell you any different."

"I won't, I promise," Grace cried.

Belle screamed out once more and her heart pounded with fear. There were other footsteps in the room just as soon as she'd lay back against the pillows. Grace moved to her father's side, while the midwife - a young woman with long dark hair - instructed him on some items to retrieve from the kitchen.

Belle didn't hear what they were, her heart was pounding too hard and all she could think about was Rumplestiltskin. _Baby, please come home! _she pleaded, whispering, "I need you, Rumple."

The midwife was at her side in a heartbeat, "Hi, Belle is it? I'm Lara," the woman who looked nothing like a witch said. Belle could hear Grace and Jefferson's footsteps as they left the room, but she focused on Lara. "I delivered Miss Grace, and I'm here to help with your little girl's birth."

Belle's eyes filled with tears. "I think something's wrong."

"I'll have a look, shall I?"

With a nod of agreement from Belle, the woman moved to the far end of the bed while Jefferson and Grace left the room.

The midwife helped Belle out of her lower garments, had her bend her knees and, after some assessment, lowered her dress with a beaming smile. "Everything looks fine, Belle. In fact, it's fair to say Jefferson got me here just in time. You're fully dilated."

"What?" Belle gasped, "That quick?"

"Some labours are long," the midwife said, moving to Belle's side and squeezing her hand. "And some? They happen very quickly."

"But the baby... my Rose, she'll be okay?" Belle asked, her voice shaking.

The other woman smiled, "I'll make certain of it."

Jefferson came back into the room then. He carried a pot of hot water in by the handle, while Grace walked behind him with a pile of clean towels.

Grace handed the midwife the towels, then looked to her father. He gave her a nod and she moved to the far side of the room and sat on the seat at the window.

"She's a little scared," Jefferson said.

"She doesn't have to be in here, if she doesn't want," Belle said with understanding.

"She wants to be here just not... up close," he explained.

Belle glanced over to the window at Grace, and gave her a reassuring smile. Her smile faded though, when another, much stronger contraction hit. Jefferson set the pot down on the floor beside the bed, and moved to Belle's side.

"Is there anything I should or shouldn't be doing?" he asked Lara.

Lara, cleaning her hands, moved to Belle's feet. "You're doing fine where you are," she said, looking at Belle finally. "You ready?"

"No," she cried, "I'm not ready. I'm not."

The midwife and Jefferson exchanged a momentary glance, and Jefferson took hold of Belle's hand as she began to do her first push.

Belle's attempts to think of happy times with Rumple as a way to escape the pain failed with every attempt.

Every contraction came faster and lasted longer than the last, and every push with it. Every part of her body trembled, and she wasn't sure she could do this but Lara kept telling her how good she was doing.

She had her small breaks, resting against the pillows, but was back up pushing again when the next contraction came.

Out of nowhere, Grace yelled out, "Papa!"

Heart thrashing, fear that Grace had noticed something worrying before Lara had, Belle breathlessly looked across at the young girl. There was an excited smile on her lips, like Belle had imagined it would tomorrow morning when it came time for her to unwrap her gifts.

"What is it, Grace?" Jefferson asked, his hand still clutching Belle's.

"There's someone outside. They're approaching the castle!"

"What?" He glanced down at Belle, then back to Grace. "Who?"

"I can hardly see, but it looks like someone walking with a stick, Papa. I think there's someone else with him."

Another contraction, and Belle began to bare down again. "Go," she soon pleaded, "Find out who it is!"

"I can't," Jefferson protested, and Belle yelled out with a loud scream before falling back down onto the pillows, her every breath coming hard and fast.

"Please," she begged, releasing her hand from his. "It might be him."

"With a _stick_?" he questioned, and Belle pushed him away from her. "Okay, I'm going."

"You're doing great," Lara told Belle, "You ready for another push?"

"No," she replied, shaking her head. She heard footsteps as Grace moved away from the window, then she felt movement on the bed as the young girl came to her side and sat beside her.

"You can do it, Aunt Belle," Grace said, and she picked up Belle's hand. "I'm here."

Belle gave her a thankful smile and took a few breaths before sitting up. It didn't take long before she felt the next contraction, and this time she pushed harder than she had before, stopping only when she felt a burning as the baby's head finally crowned.

"She's crowning," Lara said, her excitement unmistakable. She fussed over the baby's head for a moment, moving it gently into the right position. "Belle, on the next contraction, I want you to really push, okay?"

And Belle did; when the next contraction came, she bared down and pushed as hard as she could.

The pain was unbearable, and though she screamed and cried, it seemed never ending.

"One more, Belle, just one more."

Why couldn't Rumple be here? That's the only thing she wanted. No gift other than his return to her was all she'd asked for. Why couldn't the gods have given her that one wish?

The next contraction felt all the more worse than the ones before it, and though she was in tears, Belle pushed through the pain. She pushed and pushed until she wasn't sure couldn't push any more.

Amidst her own sobs, Belle heard hurried footsteps - two, no maybe three - as they came along the corridor to the bed chamber.

"Belle!" a familiar, breathless voice exclaimed.

She looked toward the door, at the very much human-looking Rumplestiltskin that stood there, clutching onto a walking stick with both hands. "Rumple?" she asked, her chest rising and falling fast as the next contraction came on. "You're here!"

"I am, sweetheart," he said, stepping into the room. Baelfire stayed behind in the doorway with Jefferson, his head hung low out of respect and shyness both.

Rumplestiltskin rushed to Belle's side, set his stick aside and when he clutched her warm hand with his icy cold hand, she wept.

"I'm here now," he promised, kissing her atop her head and putting an arm around her to hold her close. "I'm here."

Belle's sobs soon turned into grimaces, and as Rumplestiltskin squeezed her hand she began to push. She pushed and pushed again, and with his presence she found it within her to push one last time - when suddenly, the baby was out, and most of the pain finally eased.

Rumplestiltskin put his arm around Belle, holding her trembling body. "You did it, sweetheart. You did it."

The midwife got to work quickly; she tied off the umbilical cord, and offered Rumplestiltskin the scissors to cut it. He did so with a trembling hand, and when the midwife wrapped the tiny baby girl into swaddling cloth, she handed Rumplestiltskin his daughter at last.

"Oh Belle," Rumplestiltskin whispered, gazing down at the tiny bundle in his arms. "She's beautiful, just like you."

The midwife worked to tidy up and cover Belle's trembling legs with a fresh sheet of bedding while Rumplestiltskin bought the baby to her arms.

When Belle held onto their daughter and looked down at her, she could hardly believe she was finally here, and so was her father, and her big brother too. They were together at last.

"She is - she is beautiful," she soon agreed, not wanting to glance away from her. "Our little Rose."

Rumplestiltskin kissed the top of Belle's head. "Merry Christmas, sweetheart."

She lifted her head then, looking up at him. "And you, my love."

They shared a tender kiss, and when their lips parted Belle looked passed him, to the doorway where Jefferson and young Baelfire stood watching on.

"Hello, Baelfire," Belle said with a warm smile, "It's nice to finally meet you."

A smile tugged at the corner of Baelfire's mouth.

Rumplestiltskin motioned for him to enter the room, "Come meet your little sister, Son."

Baelfire tentatively stepped into the room, his gaze flickering from Belle to Lara, Grace, then back to Belle and then his Papa. He stopped at their side, and when he saw the tiny bundle in Belle's arms his smile widened. "What's her name?" he asked, looking at Belle.

"Rose," she murmured.

He smiled again, "That's lovely. How did you choose it?"

Aside from it being a prediction from Rumplestiltskin, all her life Belle had longed to call her first daughter the name Rose and vowed to someday do so. Although, she had never told him that. "It was my mother's name," she told Baelfire, and as Rumplestiltskin kissed the top of her head once more, she glanced down at Rose and smiled tearfully. "And now it's hers."

"It's perfect," Grace said, and Belle cast the young girl a grateful smile.

She was ever thankful in that moment that the gods hadn't cursed her and Rose with the same fate they'd given to her mother and baby brother all those years ago. More than that, she was thankful that they'd sent Rumplestiltskin and Baelfire home to her so they could be a family, together at last on such a special night.


End file.
